Once Upon a Kiss
by LeilansDream
Summary: I had a dream in which Wendy and Joanna were sleeping in the same bed and it was imply they were a couple. It was a very soothing and beautiful dream and it inspired me to write a one shot about them together. Expect fluff and angst with a pinch of humour and poetic writing.
1. Chapter 1 - Kiss

_A/N : Marked "mature" to be on the safe side, since it's a delicate subject that not everybody will enjoy, but it's mostly only teen and up. ;)  
_

 _Consider this AU or an untold story of Joanna and Wendy fogotten past. First of 6 chapters.  
_

* * *

The moment I remove my lips from my sister's, I feel like I did something terribly inappropriate. I back off from Joanna's body delicately. I want to say something, but I'm at lost for words, lost in her intense gaze. The kiss felt so right, so needed in that moment, but I know her too well to be tricked into thinking this spontaneous gesture would go without annoying consequences. Half expecting her to make a scene, half expecting her to rationalize my gesture to the extreme, I stand there motionless, waiting like a cat on an apprehensive stance. To my surprise, my sister simply frowns and tilt her head, silently questioning what just had happened, apparently at loss for words herself.

Which is reassuring, I decide. I let go of the breath I was holding as I stutter with my explanations. "I... huh... it... mmh... you know?"

That's it. I can't name it, I can't say the words. I can't find them. There are no words. The kiss... it is just instinct and feelings and loneliness. And being the only two grown up witches in an estranged world. It is me being so fed up with a world filled with people who hate me or despise my gifts, our gifts. It is because I'm exhausted to see the few people I care for die... or to have to leave them behind because they age and I don't. It is because I want to feel close to someone who understands it all. It is...

There are no words. The air is dense around us, like when we're about to do magic. Our gaze are locked together, exchanging information I can't put in sentences. Joanna is surprisingly quiet as I lean in for a second kiss, as guise of explanation.

Chaste as it might be, the kiss feels more than a sisterly gesture. I linger on her lips, allowing myself a brief taste of her skin, inhaling her scent, that well known scent that feels like home and caramel.

This time she's the one who break the contact first.

"Wendy, this... this is wrong."

 _And here it comes,_ I mentally sigh in frustration.

"We're sisters." Joanna concluded.

"Ah, yes, yes I get that!" I was about to storm out, but I suddenly think better of it. "I know that." I acknowledge on a calmer note, wishing to at least share a few words. "But... we're the only two witches here. And I... hmm, after what happened... I just, _maybe,_ feel the need for some intimacy with someone I can actually feel close to. Beside," I change my tone to speak on a lighter and more sultry voice, closing the space between us "I'm barren. So you and me, whatever we do, you don't have to worry about making me pregnant." I add an unnecessary wink and a shrug, just for the show of it.

My attempt at levity has the desired effect, as I witness Joanna's lips soon crack into a smile.

"Oh Wendy..." She shake her head, still smiling. "What would I do without you?"

My heart sink at her last comment, but I'm quick to push the feeling aside. Instead, I grant her a big warm smile and a shrug. "Well, if ever you change your mind, you know where to find me." I finish on a playful note, exaggerating my movements to emphasis my point, and then exit the room.


	2. Chapter 2 - Touches

_A/N : At every_ "~JB~JB~JB~" _or_ "~WB~WB~WB~" _, I alter between Joanna's and Wendy's point of view. (A little unusual choice in the writing form, but it allows dept in both characters and is much fun to write).  
_

* * *

~WB~WB~WB~WB~WB~

It's well into the night when I hear a soft knock on my bedroom door. It was hesitant and so quiet I almost missed it. I squint at the door intensely like if it had the power to tell me who's on the other side if I stare at it hard enough.

"Joanna? Is that you?" I finally say in a whisper.

"Can I come in?"

I'm relieved to hear it's my sister's voice on the other side. "Sure! Come. What's the matter?"

Joanna steps in and pauses. Her dark silhouette stands out from the light of the corridor behind her, while my table lamp gives her features and long dressing gown a warm, reddish glow.

"About earlier..."

She starts, but I have no intention to let her finish. "It's fine!" I cut her argument off. "Just try to forget it Joanna. We had a difficult few weeks and..."

...and suddenly I stand agape as my sister drops her night gown on the floor, uncovering her now naked body. "Oh." Obviously that is not what I was expecting this visit to be about.

"Well, as I was saying, I've been thinking about what you said earlier." Joanna added.

She gracefully walks towards the bed, and with each step I feel my heart beat faster.

"And I think there is some truth to it."

She now has reached the bed I'm lying on, her long curly hair framing adorably the delicate shape of her body as she continues her advance towards me. I must have made quite a stunned face, cause her slightly predatory gaze flickers into a worried one. "Are you alright?" she asks with a frown.

"Yeah, I... hmm... Are you really my sister?"

At that, Joanna cracked a rich laugh. "Yes, yes it's me." With a sigh, she abandons her seductive stance and lay her back on the wall, sitting by my side, covering herself under my blankets. "Is this surprise you so much?"

~JB~JB~JB~JB~JB~

It takes a moment to Wendy to take a hold of herself and answer my question with a shake of her head. "No, no it doesn't. Well... maybe just a little?" She has that half mischievous smile of hers back on her lips and I wonder if I just made a foul of myself. I pull the blankets higher to cover my bare chest.

"Isn't this crazy? I mean... just to consider it? I'm sorry, if..."

"No, no no no no." Wendy cut me off rather quickly, leaning over me, silencing me with a gracious finger on my lips. For a few moments, I can read hesitation in her stance. "Maybe..." She squints at me in that adorable manner of hers, observing me, silently questioning, silently searching for answers she knows I probably won't give anyways, even if she'd dare ask. She exhale her frustration in a sharp sigh.

"Alright." She seems to change tactic then. She repositions herself in front of me on her lap, before locking her eyes with mine. "Close your eyes."

"What?" I half repress a chuckle. "Seriously, Wendy?!"

"Just do it, Joanna!" she pleads as she takes my hands in hers. "Just this once."

It's my turn to feel hesitant. And confused. I would never admit it, but I've been unusually emotional lately and I fear what I'm about to do now is just another mistake. When I'm unsure, I normally tend to close off and to sort my feelings out before acting out, but there is something extraordinarily enticing about this moment, here, after all we've been through, about this woman even, that keeps me on the edge. That same thing that drove me to come to her bedroom a few minutes ago even if my brain advised me otherwise. Something very, very deep down... a pull, gentle but strong.

"Joanna?"

Her gentle voice pull me away from my train of thoughts. Wendy is graciously laying on the bed in front of me in her glamorous night gown, the features of her face standing out pleasantly through the contrast of the warm light of the flames and the blue shadows of the night. I can feel her prodding me with her expressive gaze.

I close my eyes then, more to escape the sight of her beauty than to satisfy her wish. "No dirty tricks." I warn her as I lay my head on the wall, finally giving in despite my hesitations.

"Promise." I can sense her smiling under her breath. Then she slowly, delicately, deliberately slide her hands up and down on my arm's skin, sending shrivers through my whole body in the process.

"Alright" she says "now I want you to focus on feeling me. Not thinking, not seeing me, just _feeling_ us... together, here, now. Nothing else but... Now... ... and sensations..."

So many doubts still flutter in me, but maybe, just maybe I'm willing to put them aside, just for now, just for a moment in a very long life. What harm could it brings really? The girls are currently dead, they would never know of it. Me and Wendy are both single... Oh, I feel her get closer to me and it's getting harder and harder to think. Her warm breath. Her hands still traveling on my shoulders. My heart is hammering unnaturally quickly in my chest and a warm desire is slowly building in my lower belly. I... oh shit. I shouldn't... Realizing how I feel I suddenly tense, almost ready to jump out of bed, but Wendy is quick to react. "Don't think. Feel, now..." she repeats in a whisper, like if she just read my mind. Before I can find words to protest, she captures my lips in hers, in a wild yet delicate manner I didn't know someone could muster.

I wish to go, yet I wish to be here and now more than everything else. And to give in. To give it all, feel it all, with that woman I shared so much with. I can no longer find the will to think and to limit myself. I feel hypnotized and bewildered as the grander of my feelings for her suddenly awaken and starts to pulse through my body and spirit like if life in a liquid form was traveling through my being.

I deepen the kiss and I hear her moan in surprise. Wendy needs only a moment to adjust. She allows the progress, strengthening her grip on the back of my neck, her long nails picking my skin, her fingers entangled in my long hair.

I know that woman, I know my sister. I'm used to cuddle with her and hold and hugs, but this... This has nothing to do with it. This is crossing a boundary I should not, no matter what she means to me. This is... instinct, maybe? Or...

My thoughts are blurry and sparse. This is a one time event, a one time kiss probably, and I give into it, and I taste it, and I inhale it, and I feel it, as I express myself in the language that knows no words.

I keep my eyes closed until we break apart. Until my hand leaves her lower back. Until I hear her make a contented moan. Until I draw a breath again away from her, I keep my eyes closed, wishing to drag all those fragile sensations with me.

"I love you Wendy"

The words escape my mouth without my knowledge, surprising me and her both. There is no taking them back, I realize in a flash.


	3. Chapter 3 - Words I

~WB~WB~WB~

"I love you Wendy"

There is nothing in the world that I expected less than to hear those words said to me in this circumstance from that particular individual. First, I feel flustered and arouse more than I thought I would. Fine, it might have been my idea to start with, but...

"woah." I whisper as I try to take back my composure. That was not what I was expecting. I wanted fun, touches, proximity... I wasn't sure what I was expecting, if I'm being honest with myself, but I couldn't have phantom this particular moment, that's for sure. Friendly sex exist, right?

Joanna finally dare to glance in my direction.

"Aren't you the one who's all about men all the time?" she tease me light heartedly, with a smirk on her face, apparently enjoying very much the effect our kiss had on me.

"What? Me? Pfff..." I finally relax a bit and sit by her side, my back laying on the wall. "You don't know everything about me."

"Really? Well inform me." she inquires, probably wishing to avoid the "I love you" topic hanging in the air, that neither of us feels eager to talk about.

I think about it for a moment. "Well, there was that girl back in Ashgard."

"Really?" Joanna seemed genuinely surprised to hear me affirm so. "Who?"

"hmm, I'm not sure I recall. I kissed her during one of those dare games."

Joanna giggled, shaking her head at my answer.

"That has to counts for something!" I defend myself.

Her chuckles warm my heart and the casual tone of the discussion helps me cool off.

Too soon, a silence stretch between us again.

"I... should probably go back to my room" Joanna state after a while, moving away from under my blankets.

"Wait!" I cut her quickly, not ready yet to let her move on and bury this under the rug. "About... what you said..."

A lump lodge itself in my throat. Suddenly, I'm not so sure I want hear the answer to my own question. I retreat back on my spot, encircling my arms around my legs.

Joanna repress a sigh and takes her place back on the bed by my side.

"I don't know Wendy... I'm not sure what it meant. Does it really matters?"

The lump refuses to leave me be and I'm not sure why. Her question is valid though, why do I mind so much? She told me she loved me a hundred times before... but this time it felt different. This time, in that moment, it WAS different.

"Do you think...?" I'm thinking out loud, deciding to go around the subject. "Do you think you're my exception to my usual attraction to men? There a saying that goes by "the exception makes the rule"."

She smiles gently. "I think you're the only one who can answer that, Wendy. You did look flustered." She pushed my shoulder teasingly. "Is that it? What's bothering you so much?"

"What? Me? I'm not bothered!"

Joanna doesn't bite on my lie. "You are. You never hold your knees like this unless you're upset."

I frown, suddenly becoming self conscious of my body position, all curled up on myself. Wanting to contradict her, I let go of my legs and rest my back on the wall trying to look relaxed. I see her watching me intently and I have the crazy idea to kiss her again.

Before it gets too intense we both break eye contact.

"It just came out on its own." Obviously Joanna was back at talking about her declaration.

"I'm not someone you love like that Joanna." My voice is almost a whisper. "I'm just the woman you're stuck with here, in this world. I'm your sister, of course we love each other, but... you wouldn't chose me. I mean, given better opportunity, you'd chose someone else to share your daily life with. Someone better. Less frivolous, less impulsive, less... me!" I take a pause. Without realizing it, I'm back at hugging my legs, my body in a reassuring little ball. Joanna stands agape by my side and for a moment I'm grateful for the silence, finding it not such a bad response to my confession. "You wouldn't chose me."

~JB~JB~JB~

 _Oh Wendy..._ I wish to tell something to comfort her, but what can I say? My heart squeeze as I take her words in, wondering how much truth they hold. _It's because I care about you and my daughters that I'm so rough and criticize you so easily._

"I think, I think you should go back to your room." I hear Wendy stutter, but I don't move from my spot. I search her gaze, but she keeps hers away.

"I... Wendy..."

"It's alright, it's just... it's weird that's all. That's not what I anticipated this night to feel like." She smiles faintly. I watch speechless as she gets off the bed, walks past it and hand me over my night gown that lays on the floor. I take it, but I'm still not ready to leave. It just feels wrong to leave right now. I pat the bed by my side.

"Come on Wendy."

"No, I... still think you should go."

I finally nod. I warp myself in my gown quickly, but as I stand in the doorway, I turn around.

"I think you're right Wendy. You're right that you make me so furious so easily. You have quite your own manner at living your life and you certainly make different choices than I..."

 _... but I might love that complementarity between us more than I thought I did._

Those are my thoughts and they stay as such. Wendy's grey eyes shot up on me, intense, wild, lively and I find myself unable to speak, unable to go further on my explanations, unable to admit to myself the budding realization that starts to sprout in my consciousness.

Another thought hit me then. "Are you... are you in love with me?" I ask her instead.

~WB~WB~WB~

"What!? Me?" Joanna's assumption is completely absurd. Why would I be? The frivolous dating is not because I'm frustrated with her. When I transform back into my human form, naked before her eyes, it's not because I enjoy to spite her and see her flush. I always come back to her and her daughters, but that's because we're family and I have no one else, right? There is no other reasons for it, no deeper motivations and my sexual interest are purely for men.

… right?

"You really should go." I press her to leave the doorframe and go back to her room. My emotional distress must be obvious, cause my request has the opposite effect on Joanna. Her nightgown now on, she comes back in, leans over the bed and, surprisingly, reaches to kiss me. I push her away.

"No, just, don't!"

 _If she doesn't leave, I will,_ I thought as I grasp a blanket and storm out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4 - Words II

_A/N: Thanks to those who've been reading/following! Here is another piece of this fanfiction...  
_

* * *

~WB~WB~WB~

A light movement wake me up from my slumber. I blink a few times as I realize Joanna is pulling a warm blanket over my sleepy body.

"Hey." I call her. Apparently it's still the middle of the night ; I probably haven't been asleep for long.

"I'm sorry." Is the answer I get but I can see in the other woman's eyes she meant more than to apologize about waking me up. "I'm sorry I wake you up" she clarifies. "And I'm sorry..."

Seeing I'm now awake, Joanna abandons the blanket where it lays on my shoulders and sits by my side on the couch. The moonlight crosses through the tall windows and reflects softly on her features. The whole room is plunged in the eerie blue of the night, having only a distant candle to bring some warmth to the scene. I slowly sit back and watch her intently. She eventually goes on.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way. You... you and the girls... I'm hard sometimes, but it's because I care."

Apparently she had time to think, but so far nothing new to me. "I know."

"No, you don't know. I..."

"What?" I push her to continue, both annoyed and curious.

She sighs, staring at the moon through the glass, like gathering the courage she lost. Inhaling, she starts again :

"I don't know what I would do without you, Wendy. And... I fail to give you credits to the things that you do right and the strengths you do have. Like the times you saved my life or the girls'... Like when you make us laugh on the worst days. Like how tenacious you are and passionate. "

There is that magic rising again, like thousands of invisible lights slowly turning up all around us. I can feel it. And I crack a smile, my eyes not leaving my sister's warm gaze but for a blink.

"... And like how you're there when I really need you" she adds. Our hands are now intertwined, having found each other without me even thinking about the gesture. "Like you have that other way of seeing and feeling life that I would get to forget about if you weren't there. And how much your presence makes my world richer and more colorful."

This time I close my eyes and lean in for a kiss. I hold Joanna's hand in mine hard and act quickly before she can move away from me. I feel tears strike my cheeks as I reach her lips. I wish I could stay here longer, I wish it could stay like this just a little while more.

And I don't understand that I can. That I have time to taste it, to savor both her words and her skin before we broke apart.

Joanna gently reaches out to wipe my tears, but I quickly do the job myself.

"I'm sorry I..."

"No it's alright." Joanna is quick to cut my apologies.

I'm not sure I can put in words what it feels like to look into her eyes at the moment. It's warm and intense. Joanna actually giving me compliments? It's so rare and precious. There are those tears gathering in my eyes, that, on the pride of me, I refuse to let go. So I hold them in, like I hold those words close to my heart. _She really must be upset to speak to me like that,_ I muse, bewildered.

Joanna is the first to look away. She gets up from the couch and encircle me with her arms. "I love you." I hear her whisper while she kisses me on the head. "I want you to know that."

And I know that. In that moment, I know it, I understand it all, even if words are too much of a small container to express the extent that love can have. And then she goes. Trembling slightly, I watch her silhouette disappear in the corridor and into her room.

~JB~JB~JB~

 _How can life feels so wrong and so right at the same time?_ I wonder, laying on my bed but unable to find sleep. I can't believe how intensely I felt when I kissed Wendy earlier. I also can't believe she leaned in to kiss me four times within the last twenty four hours. I can't believe she's still alive, for that matter, just a few days ago I feared that all her lives were burned out of her and I'm so relief they aren't. I need her more than I thought I did and I'm not ready to lose her.

I let a few tears escape and run wild on my cheeks. I close my eyes and lose my face in my pillow, blinding myself from the world around me. This is for the best. Sleep is for the best. In a few weeks, we'll look back on this night and laugh about it. Because that's what sisters do. We're sisters, just sisters.

I'm startled by knocks on my door. Apparently it's Wendy's turn to visit me tonight.

"Joanna! Hey... Joanna?"

She doesn't even wait for my approval before cracking the door open and slipping in. I sigh in frustration and barely refrain from throwing my pillow at her.

"Hey, hmm... Can I come in?"

I sit on my bed and hide my face in my hands in disbelief. "You're already in, Wendy."

"Yeah. Right. I... mmh. I feel very strange right now, can I, huh, come and cuddle for the night?"

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Doesn't she want a break? Isn't it better that we stay apart for now? I'm not even sure of what I want. I squint at her suspiciously. "What?"

"Yeah, well I..." My sister comes to sit beside me and I realize she's still wrap up in the blanket I brought her. She goes on :

"I know I'm not... Let's say I made mistakes. Some I'm ok with, some I regret. Many I'll never do again." She seems to search for her words for a while, before finally giving up. "Can we just cuddle for the night? I suck at explaining!"

I chuckle. Then more seriously, I ask : "Are you sure?"

There is that moment when she looks at me with that discreet frightened expression, that tremor deep in her glimmering eyes, like a wild animal wondering if it should hide or not, if it's safe to be out or not. And for a moment, just a moment, I wonder if that's all we are. I judge her so often for her nature, yet I miss her with every fiber of my being when she's away and I'd give my life to protect her. How can this be? It feels like now is a moment when she'd crack a joke, but this time she doesn't. We just break eye contact and I sigh in exhaustion.

"Come on." I invite her under my blankets and make place for her. But she doesn't come right away. It takes her a little while that feels like an eternity.

Finally giving in, she lay by my side, her head resting gently against mine.

"I love you Joanna" she whispers. "I love you and I would give my life over and over again to protect you and the girls. I'd give all my lives." There is a slight tremor in her voice. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry it's not always enough."

I stay there speechless, her warmth by my side. I wait for the rest of the declaration, but there is nothing else. Nothing more. I see her close her eyes and relax. She then pulls and pushes until her body position fits perfectly along with mine, her warmth surrounding me even more completely. Her arm is wrapped around my belly and I enlace her in turn. I kiss her on the forehead before closing my eyes to sleep.

I feel overwhelmed by waves of confusion and intense feelings and I'm too tired and hurt by recent events to fight them. What is enough? What do I want? I can no longer concentrate. Focussing on Wendy's calm breath, I give into slumber.


	5. Chapter 5 - Eternal

~JB~JB~JB~

There are those moments that feel drawn out from reality. Now is one of those period for me and Wendy. We are walking between two lives, grieving the past one while unnaturally quickly gearing up for what needs to come next. It is an exhausting endeavor, especially when a situation ended prematurely in unexpected drama and dangers, while the new one inevitably include the fragility of two new borns, Ingrid coming first and Freya a year later.

On a relationship level, no matter how much I want to believe that the exchanges between me and Wendy are back to what they used to be, I have difficulty to forget that very special and intense kiss. And is it just me? It's subtle, but there are those lingering glances, holding just a little longer than what is necessary, paired with occasional blushes and hesitant kisses. The air seems to whisper about untold desires, held back longings and new possibilities. Wendy, on her part, is surprisingly quiet and helpful. She smiles and jokes just enough so that I know she's ok, yet not enough to truly hide her grief and a mysterious discomfort that emanate from her when I'm around.

"Is Ingrid on her way yet?" her question pull me from my trains of thoughts.

"No, not yet. But she can comes anytime by now."

Wendy nods silently, getting her attention back to the pancakes she's cooking. I walk behind her and encircle her with my arms, resting my face in her neck. There is an incredible amount of comfort I find at holding her so close. At feeling her _alive_ and _here_ , at knowing that despite everything and all the curses, I'm not alone.

I feel her shift uncomfortably under my touches, so after inhaling a last time the perfume of her skin, I give her more space. To my surprise though, Wendy holds me back with her free hand and turns my way. Our gaze meet in one of those lingering moments that have my heart skip a beat. Then she smiles playfully and give me a quick kiss that lends half way on my cheek and half way on my lips.

Still gently rubbing my hand, she playfully states : "You're distracting me from my work."

"Oh really? So I'm a distraction now?"

"Yes, yes you are!"

I can't help but smile. I cherish those moments when I can forget, even if just for a few seconds, all our heartaches, issues and plans, as I lose myself in the depth of her eyes or dance at the warm rhythm of her giggles. So I keep her hand in mine and I rest lightly on her shoulder as I watch her finish her appetizing quest.

~WB~WB~WB~

I find comfort in our cuddles, especially when night comes. Joanna's body is warm and her presence comforting. And there is more to it too, which I do not know what to do with at this point. So I let myself bath in those quiet moments we share, knowing too well that when baby Ingrid will be born from the magical pregnancy, things will quickly change.

"Joanna?" I call without removing my head from where it rest at the junction of her arm and shoulder.

"hmm?" I hear her hum her response.

We've both be in bed for a while, waiting for sleep to come. I take a moment to gather my thoughts.

"You know, I would have lost many more lives if it wasn't from you."

I hear her chuckle gently.

"No, no it's true!" I continue, pushing her sides to emphasis my point. "Your way of planning and thinking and protecting is more than just annoying ; it's actually quite useful! I was just thinking how much you make my life richer, Joanna. And I rarely admit it, but... oftentimes you're right. And smart and a powerful witch. I admire you for that."

Joanna squeezes my shoulders and lends a kiss on my head, whispering : "Marry me."

"What?!" This time I turn around abruptly to face her, a puzzled expression all over my features.

She giggles through her answer : "Just during those girl's life" she explains. "So 25, 30 years at best? We could face everything together as partners. There is only us left now."

I'm distractedly conscious that she's gently playing with my hair, twisting softly a lock around her fingers. I place myself above her, searching her gaze, bewildered : "Are you serious? Cause you have to admit that's a stretch!"

"Actually... I am! Weirdly serious. I've been thinking and I know two women can't officially get married without being persecuted where we're going, so I would advice a private ceremony. Maybe inspired by Ashgard traditions? And as the outside world is concerned, we keep our usual facade : I'm recently widowed with two kids and you're my sister who's helping me out. But... between us, inside our family, we could chose to do things differently."

I have difficulty wrapping my mind around the concept yet. "Wait, are you saying I get to co-parent the girls? In like, not only babysitting them?" I ask, my imagination suddenly running wild at the possibilities.

~JB~JB~JB~

"Yes." I chuckle again. Wendy's current sets of expressions are priceless. "Diaper changing, sleepless nights, and all the..."

"YES!" Catching on my intentions, she cuts me excitedly before I even finish. "Yes I want to! So that means that we're gonna do things my way too? Oh I'm gonna tell them the most scary fairytales."

"Wendy!"

"Well, when they're of age!" she's quick to defend herself. "Seriously Joanna, you'd really let me have my say on things? And you know, not only behind your back...?" She whispers the last part, like if for some reasons it'd make it less worst.

I roll my eyes. "Yes I'll loosen up, but it's still co-parenting. That also means you can't decide something on your own and just go with it."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Fair point." The smile on her face and the glimmer is her eyes are simply beautiful. "I can do this."

"I believe you can."

"Oh, oh wait..." she seems to suddenly realize something dreadful as her expression change to a frown. "Does that mean all those years without sex?" She sits back on her hips.

"Well, that would mean no sex with someone else other than me. That usually is part of the essence of marriage."

She cocks an eyebrow. "So... you're allowing me to use all my seductive powers on you? I'm not sure you know what you're unleashing."

Wendy has that defying yet playful expression that makes her looks so alive. I can't help but smile back. I strangely feel ready for this. Before I respond, I gently pull myself up and we reposition ourselves so that we're both face to face, Wendy siting lightly on my laps.

"Well, I suppose that I'll find out, won't I? Beside, you said that like if your natural charm isn't already working 24/7."

She blinks in surprise, but before she can say anything, I add : "You don't have to say yes."

"Oh, I know! But... I do." There is a softness in her voice. "Let's do this. What's 30 years on the hundred of years we have left?"

"Well, it surely will become an interesting tale to tell. I've seen you change over time, Wendy. Getting more involve with the girls every time, a bit more careful too. If I give you some space and that you invest yourself in the tasks at hand... I believe we can achieve something pleasant together. Instead of fighting, maybe we can complete each other. As equal partners. "

And she reaches out for a kiss again, embracing my lips ever so lightly and I gladly welcome the gesture. As she pulls back, I can see her hesitation.

"We still have a lot to figure out." I offer, rubbing her hand in mine. "But we can promise each other that we're gonna figure it out together. At least for these girl's lives. Then we'll see where we are and what we want."

"How long have you been thinking about this?"

"After the discussion we had some days ago, I started to think about what it could be like if I would chose you. I was surprised that the possibility was more appealing than I thought it would."

This time she reaches out for a hug and warp me in her arms. "I love you Joanna."

I pull her close, her beating heart close to mine. "I love you too, Wendy."

There is a truth carried by those words that seems root into eternal. That we share sex or not, that we'd be sisters or not, living in the same place or not, I swear I could perceive in the background the wondrous song of a love that exists in and out of itself no matter what was and will be. And when we call upon that love and cherish it, when we play on the strings of the deep invisible bond that link us together, it feels like magic. Like the most majestic magic of all. A magic so powerful and rare that it creates balance, creativity and happiness.


	6. EPILOGUE

"MOM! Where's Ma?"

A young Ingrid is pulling herself on the bed, and now jumping with no regard whatsoever for the fact that I was, up until now, sound asleep. I turn and distractedly stretch an arm over the other side of the bed.

"Wendy... it's your turn to make breakfast."

"We know!" Freya chimed in, following in her sister's trail with rapid little steps. "That's why we're looking for her, but she ain't nowhere!"

With my hand, I search the spot by my side and there is, indeed, no one there. That wakes me up more than the girls' screams of hunger.

"Wendy?" I call but no response.

"Is the Evil Queen got her?" Freya asks, worry creeping in her voice.

"Don't be silly, those are just fairytales." Ingrid is quick to react. "Right mom?"

I drag myself out of bed and put on a dressing gown. "Yes, they are just tales from the very fertile imagination of your Ma. Beside, Wendy could defend herself even in front of someone as dangerous as that Evil Queen. You don't worry about her. She's probably just out, somewhere." I suppose vaguely and I hope I'm right. So far, we've lived a secluded and quiet life so there is no real reason to worry. Unless... I can't help but to get up and verify by myself that everything is ok.

"Wendy?" I call through the house.

Still nothing and I have to admit that it awakens some worry.

It's not until I look out from the kitchen's window that I have my answer, a silhouette approaching rapidly.

I don't even have time to warn the girls that the well known figure is already at the door, waltzing in. Here is our missing person, holding a basket filled with wild colorful berries. A sight that elicit a happy surprise reaction from the girls.

"Hey, sunshines!" she greets the kids enthusiastically.

"Maaaa!" Grin on their faces, both ran to her merrily, as she opens her arms to embrace them. "Oh, can we eat these?" The hunger issue rapidly becoming important again at the sight of the delicious fruits.

"Noooooo!" Wendy is quick to pull the basket away. "Those are for a recipe."

"But we're huuuungry!" Ingrid pouts.

"Fine" she concedes. "I know it's breakfast time, but just one bowl. Then you wait until I'm done and then we eat all the rest."

"Deal!"

Giving the girls each their share of berries, Wendy finally place her attention back on me. "Good Morning Joanna. I'm surprised you're awake so early after you stayed up last night for the spell."

"G'morning hun. Well, I had to manage a hunger emergency." I state, pointing in the direction of the two young ladies devouring the red little fruits.

"Oh! I see" she grimaces.

In another time and place her being late might have made me angry, but not in this one. Beside, the berries look delicious. "I think I deserve a bowl of those as consolation prize."

Wendy smiles. "For my lady!" she says as she drops a plate in front of me and lends a tender kiss on my head.

"Ma, what are you preparing for breakfast?" Freya wanted to know.

"It's a surprise!"

"Does it includes wild berries?" Ingrid deduces.

"hmm hmm"

So far, this life have been one of our quietest one. I thought that I would grow bored to stay away from the action and commodity of the city, but I'm not. Not so far, anyways. I do enjoy the familiarity of the scenes and the absence of enemies is relaxing.

And then, there is Wendy. Never in my life has she positively surprised me more. But that's for another story.

For now I'm content with eating a breakfast that smells like spring, collaboration and happiness and more importantly, to have people I love to share it with.


End file.
